Communicating at the edge: Risk communication processes and structural conflicts in highly industrialized petrochemical areas

This article, grounded in an empirical study carried out in the Tarragona petrochemical complex (Spain), explores how key actors operating in this specific social and organizational context perceive petrochemical communication activities. Data compiled from a set of interviews with stakeholders and focus group discussions with citizens were analysed from an interpretative perspective in an effort to capture underlying situationally specific logics. The results enabled us to discuss the advantages and limitations of different theoretical models of petrochemical communication, providing elements for a critique of overly simplistic normative models of risk communication. We highlight the potential contribution of interpretative research to the social perception of petrochemical risk and its implication in petrochemical communication processes.